A Decision Model of Kenyan SMEs' Consumer Choice Behavior in Relation to Registration for a Mobile Banking Service: A Contextual Perspective

As the fast pace of mobile banking innovations continue to permeate the socio-economic context of many African countries, there is a need for more in-depth research in this particular area. This paper focuses on mobile banking services and seeks to unearth the decision criteria associated with its choice among Kenyan small and medium enterprises (SMEs). While treating the area of focus as an impact evaluation phenomenon, the study employs ethnographic decision tree modeling to understand how target users make decisions concerning mobile banking services. The paper in particular seeks to answer the question: What decision criteria and constraints do Kenyan SMEs evaluate when deciding to register or not register for mobile banking services? Given the chosen research methodology, the study which is carried out in a developing country context is underpinned by the theory of real-life choice in order to make sense of the economic and socio-cultural context of Kenyan SMEs' appropriation decisions in relation to mobile banking technologies. The study contributes to the on-going discourse on information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) impact research by looking at the adopters' and non-adopters' decision criteria and yields vital knowledge for mobile banking service providers.